China continued to increase imports of North Korean coal and iron in June, despite tightened sanctions around buying numerous commodities from the DPRK, data from the Korean International Trade Association (KITA) shows.

The KITA figures are provided by Chinese customs and show that both iron and coal have so far proved resistant to the most recent sanctions regime.

The new UN Resolution targeting some of the DPRK’s most lucrative exports was passed in March, but since that time both coal and iron exports have remained above pre-sanctions levels.

Volumes of anthracite shipped